Biology
by SocialDegenerate
Summary: Kyrie wants to get married; Nero really doesn't. Calling Dante for help may have been the worst idea ever...or the best. DxN
1. Part One

*******This is part one of a two-part story, but it's only really split because I found it easier to proof in (slightly) smaller pieces. Plus, there's a large time gap that seemed to be a good place to stop. The second part is already mostly done, I promise; and, although this chapter would really be 'T', the fic itself is rated higher _for a_ _reason_.*******

* * *

"Oh, she looks so pretty! I _adore_ weddings, Nero!"

Kyrie beamed up at her boyfriend, innocent excitement shining in her eyes as she finally turned away from the bride and groom stepping out of the church. Nero tried his best to return the joyful expression, but the closest he could come was an unsure, tight smile.

He was _certain_ that she was hinting. She'd been making similar comments ever since a week or two after all that crap with the Saviour; not to mention how hopeful her eyes became at the sight of a beautiful bride. She wanted Nero to propose.

But he just couldn't bring himself to do it, and with every not-so-subtle hint she dropped, the guilt he felt increased. She didn't deserve this..._him._

Nero had already run through every excuse in his mind as to why he couldn't marry her. They were too young; their emotions were still too messed up from the mass-scale demon attack on Fortuna; they didn't have the money to make a proper home for themselves.

All of those were true; but they were obstacles that could easily be overcome. There was another, _far_ more binding reason why Nero couldn't commit his life to Kyrie; a reason he could barely admit in the privacy of his own head.

He didn't _want_ to marry the pretty redhead. It was that straightforward: he felt no urge to make her his, and to give himself over to her in turn. Rather, a steadily-growing part of his mind was urging him to find another…someone that he loved with all the passion he could possibly muster.

Oh, he _did_ love Kyrie, and he would do anything to protect her. He'd almost given his life for her, after all, and he'd happily do it again in an instant. But he just wasn't _in_ love with her…and he couldn't marry the girl who felt more like his sister than his lover.

That was also the reason why he and Kyrie had never progressed past gentle kisses. Well…Kyrie might have been holding back because Fortuna's social etiquette demanded chastity from unmarried couples; but Nero had never felt bound by the expectations of society.

Quite frankly, he felt fully prepared to fuck whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He just…hadn't yet found anyone that he _did_ want.

"When do you think it will be our turn, Nero?"

The part-demon's eyes widened, and he began to stutter out an answer. She was getting more and more forward with her hints, and Nero wasn't sure how much more he could take before he told her the truth.

Luckily, before he could say the wrong thing and break his poor girlfriend's heart, Nero's right arm began to glow and pulse. Head whipping around, he tried to find the source of the evil energy his demonic limb was sensing.

"Kyrie, go home. _Now_. There's a demon on the loose, and I don't want you to get hurt." Trying to detach her from his left arm as gently as he could, Nero prodded the girl in the right direction before drawing Blue Rose and beginning to run towards the demon energy.

He vaguely heard Kyrie calling something from behind him, but he didn't pause in his stride. One demon could easily become ten if it wasn't taken care of immediately; and although battles had become significantly fewer since the Order had been disbanded and restructured, a stray Scarecrow or Mephisto still popped up occasionally.

Plus, they had the most wonderful knack for appearing right when Nero was in the middle of a serious conversation.

Within five minutes, the lone Scarecrow was atmospheric dust and Nero was wondering just how long he could milk this one before going to meet Kyrie.

Sighing, he slumped back against a tree, wiping at his forehead and wincing when a little demon juice came off on his fingers.

He couldn't go back right now. He couldn't face any more talk about weddings, or marriage, or even the goddamned _future_. What he needed was to talk to someone…someone who _wasn't _Kyrie.

But although Fortuna looked to him for demon extermination, no one actually talked to the kid with the possessed arm. Sure, they talked _about_ him, but there was just too much fear now that they knew what he was hiding behind the sling.

Besides, in a city as small as this, everyone knew what everyone else was saying. If he told a single person that he couldn't marry Kyrie, she would know before the day was out.

He needed someone outside Fortuna, which then narrowed his choices down until only two people remained: Gl…_Trish_, and Dante.

He didn't know how to get onto the blonde woman, and she probably wouldn't be much help anyway. That left…Dante.

Truthfully, Nero would probably be better talking into an unplugged phone than trying to have a proper conversation with the older demon hunter. But he liked to know that someone was listening when he vented, and he'd managed to hunt down the phone number of Devil May Cry…for purely _professional _reasons, of course.

It was worth a shot, right? Even being laughed at by Dante was better than facing more wedding talk.

Pulling himself upright, Nero finally holstered Blue Rose and began to wander towards the nearest phone. He had shit to get off his chest, and Dante was going to listen whether he liked it or not.

* * *

"_DANTE!"_

The white-haired hunter sighed, waiting for the front door of his office to burst open. Slouched back in his chair with his feet on the desk, he made sure to lift his stick book to completely cover his face.

He wasn't even looking at the thing, but Lady _hated_ it when she saw dirty magazines sitting around Devil May Cry. And Dante could never resist an opportunity to rile her further.

_That_ explained his current situation: sitting around, getting ready for the argument he knew was coming. Sure, he could've taken more care in making sure that the client's house stayed in one piece; but it was just more fun to dick around a bit, trash a few things, and then leave Lady to deal with the fallout.

He might have lost out a little on the money front from it, but there was nothing quite like messing with the female hunter.

Right on cue, the doors slammed open and the enraged scream sounded again. "_DANTE!"_

Not moving his magazine, Dante smirked where Lady couldn't see. "Fancy seein' you here, babe."

"Oh, no! Don't you 'babe' me, you filthy little slack-ass. What the _Hell_ did you do yesterday?"

Dante kept his tone bored, hiding the smile he just couldn't hold back. "Let's see…ordered a pizza, slept a while, jacked off…"

He punctuated the last words with a slight shake of the magazine, and wasn't at all surprised when it was ripped from his hands, the pages tearing away in a flutter of naked women.

"You know what I mean! Why is a client telling me to pay for the great gaping _hole_ in his front room?"

"Because he doesn't understand that demons couldn't give a shit how nice his crappy little home is?"

"_No!_ Because you're a complete _idiot_ who can't take five extra seconds to do things the clean way! You're nearly thirty years old, and yet you're even _less_ mature than you were when we met, I swear!"

Dante just smirked up at Lady, resting his hands behind his head. She was positively _fuming_; even worse than usual.

This was _fun_.

"If you knew the answer, why bother asking me? As you can see, I'm kinda busy at the moment."

The bullet that lodged itself in his shoulder wasn't unexpected, but it still hurt like Hell. Wincing, Dante dug his fingers into the wound, pulling out the blood-covered lead and flicking it away. His flesh immediately began to knit itself together, and in just a few seconds only a hole in his zippered shirt remained.

He was glad that he wasn't wearing his jacket; it was a bitch trying to convince Trish to mend the red leather whenever he trashed it…which was often.

"_Don't fuck with me_. Next time, unless you want to _di-…"_

Lady's rant was cut short when the old-fashioned phone sitting by Dante's feet began to ring. Holding a finger up to Lady in order to make her pause and actually draw breath, Dante snapped the heel of his boot firmly against the desk, making the phone's receiver flip neatly into his outstretched hand.

"I still got it," Dante drawled, winking at the flushed, angry woman in front of him before lifting the phone to his ear.

"Devil May Cry, where we don't guarantee the safety of your possessions." For once, the hunter was actually happy to take the call. If this took long enough, Lady might get bored and wander off. It was a long shot, but although pissing the woman off and watching her scream was fun, pissing her off and getting away scot-free was even better.

"…Dante?" The quiet, male voice made the white-haired man pause. He _knew_ this one…but it just wasn't coming to him.

"The one and only."

"It's…Nero." Dante's eyes widened; it'd been _months_ since he'd left the demon-kid in Fortuna, and he hadn't actually expected to hear from the guy ever again. If he was calling the shop, had his city been overrun by demons again?

"Oh, hey, kid! How's life in the slow lane? Still with that bangin' chick…uh…whatsername? Kira? Kyla? Kylie?" Dante knew perfectly well that Nero's girlfriend was named Kyrie; but the kid was almost as easy- and fun- to ruffle as Lady.

This time, though, Dante was surprised to find that Nero barely changed his tone from nervously worried.

"Her name is Kyrie. And that's kinda why I rang…I need to talk to you."

"What? You after a sex ed lesson? At your age?" He _knew_ it was a bad idea; and yet he still said it. Dante just didn't know when to keep his comments to himself.

There was a drawn-out sigh from the younger man, and a moment of silence. "You know what? This was a bad idea. See y-…"

"Wait, wait wait wait. Don't go gettin' all prissy on me, kid. What d'ya need to know?" Dante could see that Lady was nowhere near leaving just yet. She actually seemed to be getting more murderous by the second, so he had no intentions of letting the call end.

"Well…it's about me and Kyrie. She wants to…" Dante zoned out on Nero's explanation as a great idea dawned on him: he could use this to get away from Lady's bitching _and_ get a holiday out of it. A mischievous smile started to break out on his face.

"What's that? You don't wanna talk about it over the phone? You want me to come to Fortuna so we can talk properly? I dunno…I'm pretty busy…" Cutting straight over whatever Nero had been saying, Dante looked up at Lady and shrugged as if to say, 'Kids. What can you do?'

She didn't look amused in the slightest.

"…Huh? What the crap are you on about? Dante, are you even listening to me?" The answer to the second question was fairly obvious, the hunter thought. Nero didn't _have_ to sound so confused.

"Urgent, you reckon? Well, if you're gonna _beg_ me like that, I can't say no to a punk kid like you, can I? I'll be in Fortuna by tomorrow."

"You're _not_ listening, are you. But are you actually planning on just rocking up here again?" _Now_ Nero was getting it.

"No, I _can't_ be there any earlier than tomorrow. I'll see you then, kid." Dante didn't bother to wait for an answer, throwing the receiver so that it landed perfectly in its cradle. Standing, he grabbed his coat from a hook on the wall, slipping it on as he contemplated the display of weapons positioned behind his desk.

"Dante, I'm not finished with you! You can't just run off whenever the Hell you feel like it!"

Lady was, once again, ignored as Dante tried to make a decision. Shrugging, he decided to just run with the usual: Rebellion, Ebony and Ivory. Strapping them to their positions on his body, he turned to face Lady, who was preparing yet another little speech.

Before she could start yelling again, though, Dante held up his hand and cut her off. "Don't answer the phone, don't answer the door, don't eat my food and don't screw with my jukebox. Other than that, have fun."

In a swirl of red leather he was gone, leaving the female hunter to splutter in fury. As he jumped on his motorbike, engine revving in an unnecessary display of power, he faintly heard her scream his name one more time.

Laughing, he roared onto the road in the direction of Fortuna.

* * *

The sun had finally set completely, and Nero couldn't help but feel the slightest bit disappointed. Dante had _possibly_ said that he was going to turn up today, after the incredibly bizarre conversation Nero had been through with him; and yet, there had been no sign of him.

Nero had spent most of the day avoiding Kyrie, knowing that she would be hurt by it and yet unable to face her and lie. He needed to talk to someone, and maybe even have a decent sparring session, but first he needed to find out for sure whether Dante was going to be a helpful asshole, or just an asshole full stop.

He should probably go home and just _call_ the man again. And then hope like Hell that he wasn't on crack this time.

Standing up from the table he'd taken at Kyrie's least-favourite restaurant- he'd been hungry, but was still in hiding- Nero left a little money on the table and made sure his glowstick of an arm was covered.

He wouldn't have to worry about sticking to the shadows now that it was dark, but his demonic limb gave off a faint light even when there were no evil auras around, which was a total giveaway.

He took the short way home, practically running through alleys and back streets as he approached his tiny apartment. At one point, Kyrie had wanted them to live together, but Nero had played the money card and said that a bigger place was too expensive. Besides, his place was barely big enough for one person and she still lived with her parents.

There was no way in Hell that Nero was moving in _there_.

When he reached his front door, he could have sighed in relief. He'd made it through a whole day without seeing Kyrie, and he hadn't been at home to ignore the calls she'd surely made.

However, when his human hand touched the doorhandle, his demon arm began to glow, visible even through the sling he nearly always concealed it with. Nero instinctively dropped into a fighting stance; one of them was _inside_.

Fuck.

Pulling Red Queen from his back, Nero quietly opened the door. His sword was a _little _less messy than the gun; having blood and guts everywhere just wasn't funny.

Stepping silently inside the apartment, sword raised before him, the young hunter surveyed the living room-slash-dining room-slash-kitchen. Nothing was out of place. The stench that accompanied evil everywhere just wasn't present…was it possible that his arm was reacting to something completely different?

Still not letting his guard down, Nero crept towards the bedroom. Focusing hard, he began to sense…_something_. He wasn't sure, but it felt like a demon.

There was still no evil smell, though.

Opening the bedroom door softly, Nero winced when the hinges creaked. If a demon was concealing itself there for some unknown reason, they now knew he was home. Giving up on trying to be stealthy, the white-haired boy stood straight up and shoved the door as far open as it would go.

When he saw the figure lying on his bed, he couldn't help but let out a single laugh.

Dante, the legendary Son of Sparda, was asleep in his bedroom.

"Fucking Hell," Nero muttered to himself, sheathing his sword and walking to the side of his bed. Clenching his possessed hand into a fist, he drove a forceful punch into Dante's hard stomach.

"Wake up, you old bastard!"

To Dante's credit, he rolled off the bed and into a defensive crouch on the floor without missing a beat. The action wasn't needed though, because Nero had no intentions of chasing the man further. He'd made his point.

"Shit, kid, what was that for? I _told_ you I was coming today, so it's not my fault that you weren't here and I got bored. How do you _live_ in this place, without even a decent pizza joint anywhere for about a hundred miles?"

Nero rolled his eyes. "You crazy asshole. Now tell me why we couldn't do this over the phone?"

Dante stood up, cocking his head to the side as he looked the younger man up and down. "Because I missed you so very, very much?"

Another eye roll. "Try again."

"Because I've done all the chicks in my city, so I thought I'd come and get up in your turf? Fresh meat and all?"

This time, Nero let out an exasperated sigh. "Out, old man. I never asked you to rock up, so if you're just gonna be a prick, you may as well head home and be one there."

Laughing, Dante cracked his shoulders and stretched out his arms, stripping off the trench coat he'd accidentally fallen asleep in and placing it on the floor next to his already-discarded weapons.

"Fine, fine. You called just as Lady was starting to tear me a new one over some stupid shit, so I decided to get away from her for a while. I mean, she can't _really_ shoot me to death, but it sure as Hell hurts when she tries."

"I should've guessed."

"Uh-huh, you really should have. Guess you're just not smart enough yet."

Nero scowled. Dante might not be the evil, murderous dickhead that he'd originally seemed to be, but he was _certainly_ still a dickhead. Nero couldn't quite remember why he'd thought calling the older man was a good idea in the first place.

"At least I can stay awake for longer than five minutes at a time. Is the Alzheimer's finally getting to you?"

"Funny, punk, funny. Anyway, I seem to remember someone mentioning something about food…?"

"Got any cash on you?" There was no chance of Nero shouting for Dante's little trip. If the guy was just planning on appearing out of the blue for no good reason, then Nero wasn't about to get stuck with the bill.

"Do I have-…Pfft, what d'_you _think? Of course I have…alright, I ain't got a lot. Don't look at me like that, you haven't seen Lady in all her money-grabbing glory." Dante's expression was a little sheepish, and the look was actually helped along by the man's sleep-mussed hair and five o'clock shadow.

It wasn't going to work on Nero, though.

"If you wanna eat, you gotta pay. But whatever you want, I'd better go get it for you. I don't think some of the people here are over the sight of you offing Sanctus." It actually wasn't an excuse; some of the more devout residents still firmly believed that their former leader had been murdered in cold blood by 'a sadistic, grinning man in red who laughed as he flung Sanctus' insides around the Opera House.'

…The story had obviously been twisted a little along the way.

"Ugh…well…if I'm not gettin' pizza, then…fuck, just get whatever. Make it good, though." Pulling his ragged wallet from his back pocket, Dante tossed it in Nero's direction. He ignored the apprehensive look that the younger man sent him as he flicked through the wallet's fairly pathetic contents.

"Alright. But don't you even _think_ about getting back into my b-…"

"Quit ya bitching. I need a nap before dinner, so piss off before I shove Rebellion somewhere you _really_ wouldn't like her."

Throwing his hands up in disgust, Nero turned and stomped out of the room. Some people…

* * *

"Well, _shit_. That hit the spot…" Dante pushed his chair back from Nero's tiny dining table, resting a hand across his flat stomach. Nero raised an eyebrow; the man looked like he was ten seconds away from yet _another_ nap.

That definitely wasn't on the cards right now. The younger hunter had barely eaten a thing all night, his insides too jumbled from what he was feeling about Kyrie to allow him to keep much down. Besides, he'd eaten not long before coming home and finding Dante in his bed.

Nero blinked rapidly. _That _certainly had an odd ring to it.

Shaking his head a little to clear it, the smaller man wondered how best to broach the subject of Kyrie with Dante. Luckily for him, though, the other man beat him to the punch.

"So, kid, what did ya want to know, anyway? You said it was about Kyrie, and I'm guessin' that the only reason you haven't kicked me out yet is because you still wanna talk."

Nero bit his lip and nodded. Thinking about what to say wasn't getting him anywhere; he decided to just open his mouth and let the words flow.

"I…I love Kyrie, I really do. I'd kill the Saviour all over again to protect her. But…she wants more, and I don't know if I can give it to her."

Dante's lip twitched, as if he was about to make some sort of smart comment. When he looked directly into Nero's eyes, though, his face immediately lost all trace of the prankster nature that was normally always there.

He was finally beginning to recognise the seriousness of the conversation.

"Wants more as in…how? Sex? Living together? Or, God forbid, marriage?"

…That wasn't reassuring in the least. Nero swallowed hard, licking his suddenly dry lips. "She keeps…dropping hints about weddings, and brides, and getting engaged."

There was silence as Dante's ice blue eyes bored into Nero's, the older man clearly trying to fill in the gaps. Eventually, he pulled his chair back towards the table and sat up straight.

"You're not in love with her, are you."

Nero felt ashamed to finally hear it out loud. Dropping his eyes to the cheap, cracking surface of the table, he nodded a little. "It's going to break her heart when she finds out, but…it's too much like she's my sister. And there's something in my head that's telling me to go find someone I feel passionate about…something that feels like it's getting stronger every day."

Nero's head snapped up when his sharp hearing caught Dante's quick intake of breath.

"When did you start feelin' that, kid?"

"I dunno…I guess it would've been not long after all that shit with Sanctus and the Saviour."

Nero couldn't understand the way Dante's features crinkled in thought, the man tapping a finger against the table as he clearly ran something through his mind. Why did it matter how long he'd felt like this? The point was that he _did_ feel this way, wasn't it?

"So what you're saying is…your mind is telling you to find someone you're in love with, 'cause that person sure as Hell ain't Kyrie. And this started happening right around the time your demon powers got a shitload stronger?"

Nero's confusion at this whole situation boiled over into frustration, and he couldn't help but snap a little. "_Yes!_ That's exactly what I just fucking said. Now, are you going to help me sort this shit out, or are you just going to repeat me like some sad-sack little parrot?"

Dante didn't seem perturbed by the younger man's little outburst. Rather, he finally smiled once more. "Sheesh, kid, no need to bleed all over me. Then again, _I_ had some pretty wicked mood swings…"

Nero wasn't entirely sure, but he thought that the last line was more for Dante's sake than his own. He ignored the initial insult, and just ran with the second part of Dante's musing.

"Mood swings? What are you on about, old man?" He had a sinking feeling about this…

"Lemme tell you a little something about demons, Nero. In the same way that humans want to get married, demons feel the urge to find a mate and fuck 'em senseless. Some of 'em would rather have a new partner every night, and some find one other demon and the pair go off having violent, monogamous demon sex together for the rest of their shitty lives."

Nero scowled; his frustration wasn't going away as quickly as it should have been. "And this is relevant how, you senile idiot?"

"Kid, you need to respect your elders. I can kick your ass, remember. It's relevant 'cause a' _that_ thing." Dante lifted his right arm, tapping at his wrist with his left index finger.

There was silence, and then: "Oh…_fuck…_"

"Yep. You're basically hitting puberty all over again." Dante laughed, ignoring the way that Nero's face and body language were screaming murderous intentions. He knew what Nero was going through; not because of the girlfriend, but because of the urge to find a mate.

He wondered how Nero was going to handle the sensations…would he go about it the same way Dante did, by screwing as many humans as he could get his hands on while knowing that there was no chance of finding a mate among them?

Or would he reject his demon side, and settle into an unsatisfying, pathetic charade of a life with Kyrie, who would never be able to quench the need?

"So what you're saying is…this frigging arm and the demonic shit that comes with it is gonna make it impossible for me to settle down with anyone other than…a _soulmate_?"

Dante couldn't help it; he laughed. "I never really thought about demons having soulmates…but that's one way of putting it, I guess. You're basically right, though, and that's why you're not in love with good ol' Kyrie. Sorry t'say it, but I'll tell you from experience: there'll always be a part of you that'll wanna find the right mate."

Nero really wasn't sure if the explanation made him feel better or worse. On one hand, he _wasn't _just an insensitive prick who didn't know how to treat his girlfriend.

But on the other hand…he was an insensitive prick who had led a poor, innocent girl on for _far_ too long, when he didn't really _want_ her.

"Let me see if I gotcha correctly…all I have to do is find my mate, and I'll be ridiculously happy for the rest of my life?" Nero knew he was oversimplifying; but he still wasn't prepared for the fit of laughter that Dante suddenly broke out into, the man slapping his palm on the table as he cracked up.

_Finally_, the older man calmed down enough to speak. "You…shit, kid, you make it sound so freakin' easy. But there's a teeny little issue for guys like us. We can't mate with humans, because our demon side will only go for other demons. But we can't mate with demons 'cause they'll more than likely try to rip your head off once they come. That's just what they do when they smell human blood, and if they no longer feel an immediate urge to fuck the brains outta your demon side, well, _look out_."

The table barely withstood the force of Nero's human fist slamming down on it; luckily, he'd remembered to keep his demon arm in his lap. "So I'll feel like this no matter who I try to be with? For fuck's _sake…_"

"Nope. You just gotta find yourself another human-demon hybrid. But, ah…easier said than done, kid. I only know three of 'em."

Nero's eyes narrowed as he looked across at the older hunter. "I'm guessing that one's you, and one's me. _Please_ tell me that number three is a _woman_, at the very least?"

This time, at least, Dante managed to mostly contain his laughter. "You reckon that I'd be here with _you_ if I could be mating with some smokin' babe? Shit, no. Number three is my brother, remember, and he's kind of a dick mostly, so…"

"You'd better not be suggesting what I _think_ you're suggesting, you old pervert."

Dante's smirk dropped, but only for a fraction of a second. Leaning his elbow on the table, he put his chin on his palm and leant towards Nero.

"Sorry, kid, but I like my men a _lot _more ripped than you. Can't blame ya for wanting, though, 'cause really…" With his free hand, the hunter gestured up and down his body.

Nero didn't reply; he was too busy trying to figure out if Dante was just teasing him about the 'men' part or not. And then, when he'd decided that the older man's words really didn't matter, the gravity of his situation had come flooding back.

If Dante was right- which, Nero reluctantly admitted, he usually was- then he was never going to be happy with Kyrie, no matter how hard he tried. Finally admitting defeat, Nero slumped over the table with his head pillowed on his arms.

His words came out a little muffled, but Dante's demonic hearing meant that he could still understand them. "I can't break up with her…but I _have _to…don't I?"

Still smirking, Dante reached over to playfully ruffle the younger man's messy white hair. "You gotta do what you gotta do, kid. Just follow your heart and all that clichéd shit. Like, right now, I'm about to follow my heart and go to bed; all your dramatics tired me out."

It was as if someone had flicked a switch in Nero's brain, and the smaller man leapt up from his seat. "I'm guessing that your freeloading ass is staying here, 'cause you _definitely_ didn't have enough to spring for the inn. But you get the couch: the bed's mine, and I ain't letting you in there after that comment about men."

"Now _there's _the pissy bastard I know! Looks like my work here is done, so I'll split tomorrow. Besides, I sat on your couch earlier. If I slept there for more than one night, I'd probably break my spine."

"Well, you gotta look after yourself, what with the old, falling apart bones and all."

"Hardy-fuckin'-har-har. Just lemme grab my babies from your room, and I'll let that comment slide."

Nero wasn't about to fall for that one. Crossing his arms, he shook his head at the taller man. "Oh, Hell no. I let you in there and you'll just end up in my bed again. _I'll_ get your shit for you."

Turning towards the apartment's only bedroom, Nero let out a little yawn. Once Dante left, he'd be able to have a proper think about Kyrie. But that could wait until tomorrow; he was stuffed.

Throwing the older man's coat and weapons into the main room, Nero yawned out a quiet 'goodnight' before practically falling into bed. He didn't bother waiting for a response from Dante; the man was probably already asleep.

As he slipped into his bed, an odd scent assaulted his nose, making him freeze. What the _Hell_ was that smell…and why was it in his _bed_…?

When the answer hit him, Nero _almost_ got back out of bed just to kick Dante's ass. If the smell of Dante's demon side on his sheets, combined with the fact that having a half-demon so near was still making his arm pulse, kept him up then there was going to be Hell to pay in the morning,

* * *

Nero woke with a gasp, his body covered in sweat and his breath coming faster than usual. It was a dream…just a dream…

Too bad he couldn't remember what the dream had been in the first place. All he knew was that…nope, it had all left him now. Well, except for the slight hard-on he could feel. _That_ definitely hadn't left him.

Shit, it wasn't good for this kind of crap to be going on with Dante in the next room. Hopefully he hadn't said anything out loud…

Trying to swallow, Nero found that his throat was incredibly dry. Groping on the floor beside his bed, the boy tried to locate his water bottle…only to find that it was empty. Grumbling a little, he pulled himself from the sheets, not caring about the fact that he was just in his boxers as he walked into the kitchen area.

Grabbing a not-so-dirty glass from a high shelf, Nero turned towards the sink…and froze.

The moonlight was streaming in through the curtain-less windows of the front room, sending silver patches of light around the place. Nero could honestly say he'd never noticed just how well the moon highlighted his couch until…well…until he saw Dante, shirtless but still clad in his red leather pants, stretched out along the cushions with his legs hanging off the edge, all illuminated perfectly by the natural light.

Nero had thought that _he_ had a great torso…he could honestly say that he had _nothing_ on the older demon hunter.

The moonlight seemed to play perfectly over the man's skin, all the way from toned-yet-flat pectorals down to where Dante's hips tilted inwards in a 'V' shape, dipping into his dangerously low pants…

Nero was suddenly aware of just how dry his lips and throat were. Water…he'd come out for water…

Quickly filling the glass, Nero practically ran back to the bedroom, making sure that he didn't look back towards the couch. His mind was fucking with him. _That _was it. Hell, this had probably all been a dream. Yeah. None of that had actually happened.

It just couldn't be possible to have abs like that, after all.


	2. Part Two

It had been three weeks since Dante had taken his sudden trip to Fortuna and, quite frankly, they'd been boring. As curious as the hunter was to find out what Nero had chosen to do, there had been no word from him and Dante had no way of contacting the kid, bar going back to Fortuna.

Dante knew that Lady would probably castrate him if he tried running off again. He _hadn't _managed to avoid the lecture from that successful failure of a job; he'd just delayed it by a couple of days.

Not to mention that fact that he'd come home to discover Trish relaxing on his couch, the jukebox blaring out some shit record that had, to Dante's fury, been put in there at the expense of his Elena Houston vinyl.

Oh, well. That felt like an _age_ ago; since then, Lady had been properly ignored, Trish had been properly yelled at, and Nero had…

Well, Nero hadn't done much at all, to the best of Dante's knowledge. The older man couldn't help but wonder whether he'd broken things off with Kyrie or not; the kid seemed like the kind of person who would marry her at the expense of his own happiness, rather than hurt the girl a little and let her get over it.

Sighing softly, Dante let the motorbike magazine he was reading drop over his face as he lay back on the couch, blocking out the mid-afternoon light that was filtering in through the windows of Devil May Cry.

In all truth, he felt the smallest bit _sorry_ for Nero. The guy had realised that, not only was he _not_ in love with his girlfriend, but also that he only had a very, very slim chance of finding someone he _did_ love completely.

But Dante could sympathise…which wasn't something he did very often. At least he'd managed to get ignoring the 'mate urge' down to very fine art: fight and fuck. If he did enough of both, he could generally forget the little demonic voice in his head that bitched and moaned about not having a kindred spirit.

_Or, _Dante thought with a snicker, _a 'soulmate', as Mister Sensitive put it._

He should probably go visit the kid again sometime…but maybe he should give it a few more weeks. He hadn't been kidding when he'd said _it_ was like going through puberty again. Nero's mind was going to yell louder every day; and at some point, his body was either going to start agreeing, or go the opposite way and just get very, _very _grumpy.

He wouldn't be very much fun to be around, _that_ was certain.

Smirking a little underneath the magazine, Dante closed his eyes. The phone was off the hook and the door was locked tight. If anyone- bar Lady or Trish, who'd just break down the door- tried to contact him, they'd find themselves out of luck.

It was time for an afternoon nap.

* * *

Nero had no fucking clue where he was going. He'd barely ever left Fortuna, and finding his way onto the ferry to the city where Dante lived had been hard enough; now he had to actually track Devil May Cry down. If only he'd been given a little more warning that he was going to have to leave; he would've taken the time to find an address.

He hadn't actually checked, but Nero was fairly certain that it wasn't just going to be in the phonebook.

He probably should've just _rung_ the man…but since he was looking for a place to stay, he decided it was better trying to catch Dante off-guard, rather than alerting him ahead of time so that he could nick off before Nero found him.

Turning down yet _another_ alley on the trail of the elusive shop, Nero tensed when he realised that someone else had also entered the darkened laneway. He couldn't sense any demonic energy, but Red Queen was in his bag, along with Yamato; he would only be able to get to Blue Rose, strapped on his leg, without alerting whoever it was to the movement.

Gently sitting his heavy bag on the ground, Nero rested his hand on his revolver and slowly turned. He still didn't know if it was a demon or just _human_ scum, after all…

Finally facing the person behind him, Nero froze.

He was being followed by a woman with an honest-to-God _rocket launcher_ sitting on her shoulder.

Instinctively starting to pull his gun on the woman, he froze again when she took a threatening step forward.

"Don't even think about it, _demon."_

Raising his human hand in surrender, he began to look for a way out. He was stuck in the middle of the alley, and he didn't know how good the woman's reactions were; he'd probably get shot before he could either flee or attack.

"I think you've got the wrong idea, lady. I'm no demon." Well…it was close enough to the truth. Besides, he'd been through enough of this shit in Fortuna when people had found out why he always wore a sling.

"Don't bullshit me. I can _sense _it. And if you're not a demon, how do you know my name? Hmmm?"

…What? Nero had no idea what this apparently-crazy woman was on about. He _didn't_ know her name…unless…

"Lady? _You're _Lady?"

The giant gun didn't waver. "I might be."

"I need to get to Devil May Cry."

"_Why?_"

Holy shit, was this twenty questions or what? Nero was starting to think that risking a rocket to the face was worth getting away from this crazy bitch; even if she _was_ the hunter that Dante had mentioned in passing.

"I'm here to see Dante."

Silence reigned, and the white-haired man was getting bored. Luckily, the woman spoke before he did something stupid, like try to outrun an explosive.

"Are you a client?"

"Uh…no."

"Then wh-…"

"Listen, Lady. I've had enough of this shit already. Can you at least tell me how to get to the office? It was a damned long trip from Fortuna."

The launcher was slowly lowered, Lady resting the end of it against the ground. Relaxing her pose, she leaned casually against the over-sized weapon. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. _You're _the kid who tried to give that lazy-ass Dante a run for his money a few months back, aren't you?"

"…Something like that."

"Nero, right?"

The part-demon couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased that Dante had obviously talked about him at some point…unless it had been Trish. But that was beside the point; he'd actually found a way to get to Devil May Cry. He nodded at the suddenly-civil woman, lowering his hand.

"Alright. I'll take you to Dante." She looked pointedly at the bag on the ground, which Nero was bending to pick up. "Does he know you're coming?"

A little sheepishly, Nero shook his head. "No. But if he's gonna drop in on me whenever the Hell he feels like it, then I'm gonna return the favour."

Lady laughed, but it wasn't the most innocent of sounds. Nothing like Kyrie's laugh…Nero frowned, trying to ignore the little flash of guilt he felt.

"Even better! Let's go." Spinning around, Lady darted out of the alley, making Nero almost run to catch up.

He wasn't about to lose this opportunity.

* * *

The sound of a fist banging against wood invaded Dante's consciousness, but he desperately tried to block it out and cling to sleep. He'd been right in the middle of a rather…_interesting_ dream about a redhead and a strawberry sundae; he didn't want to deal with whichever pathetic client today would bring.

"_DANTE!"_

Oh, _shit_, that sounded like…

The hunter jolted slightly when the front doors of his office broke open, the magazine that was resting over his face sliding to the floor. He pressed the heels of his hands into his blurry eyes; great. Juuust great.

Finally opening his lids, Dante looked right into Lady's mismatched eyes, the woman hovering forebodingly over the couch. The little smirk on her face wasn't a good sign, as Dante had realised a _long_ time ago.

"I've brought you a little _present_, Dante."

"Don't want it. I'm all about the party, not the gifts."

"Oh, but you'll _like_ this one. I've found you a partner, since Trish and I can't stand staying near you for longer than a week or two at a time."

Sitting bolt upright, Dante crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, no you don't. I ain't letting some random asshole in here to screw up my place, so you can just take your crappy 'present' back to the store."

As usual, Lady wasn't bothered in the least by Dante's anger. "Maybe if you didn't screw up so often, I wouldn't have had to find someone who might do a decent job in the first place. Besides, this one's a stray. Found him wandering the streets, looking for you."

Alright, _now_ Dante was interested. Not so much in the 'partner' bit, but in the 'stray' part. He didn't let it show on his face, though, keeping his expression bored. "I don't have time to toilet-train a new pet."

"Don't worry. I'm fairly sure that he's housebroken." Turning back towards the doors, Lady raised her voice. "Oi, you! Get your ass in here before I have to come out there and kick it."

Dante was curious enough to actually turn his head towards the door, waiting for Lady's latest unlucky victim to appear.

When the third person entered the room, Dante's bored façade dissolved into shock. "What the Hell are you doing here, kid?"

"Don't call me that, you old bastard," Nero muttered with a vaguely uncomfortable air about him. He obviously hadn't been expecting a reintroduction like _that_, and Dante was actually surprised the guy hadn't just stormed off in a huff.

Then the older man noticed the bag slung over the kid's shoulder.

"I don't think I wanna know the answer, but…what's with the bag?"

Nero bit his lip, blue eyes darting towards Lady before dropping back to the floor. "I kinda got run out of Fortuna. This is all I have left…"

Letting out a low whistle, Dante stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "What'd ya do this time? Trash another religion? Deflower all the virgins in that damned city of chastity?"

"No. I broke it off with Kyrie, and I told her everything. But, uh…she must've told someone else who twisted the story a bit, 'cause a few days later I was Public Enemy Number One after apparently having triggered into a demon and tried to rape her. As far as I know, she didn't do much to set them straight…I broke her heart."

Dante winced. That was a bad one; just gotta _love_ these cities full of easily-led religious assholes. But hey, at least the kid had owned up to himself and dumped the girl.

"And let me guess, you don't know anyone off that damned island so you wanna crash here." Even though he knew what was going on, and it was _kind of_ his fault that Nero had left Kyrie and then been kicked out of his home, Dante was a little reluctant to let Nero stay at Devil May Cry.

It wasn't a space issue, or a privacy deal; neither of those was a problem for the shameless hunter who had more room than he knew what to do with. The _real _dilemma came from the fact that, as Dante had thought earlier, Nero probably hadn't gotten over the mood swings yet.

Hell, when Dante himself had been going through the same thing, he'd spent every night going out and deliberately picking fights with the nastiest demons he could find, just to burn off the perpetual anger he was feeling.

Dante blinked a few times when he realised that Nero had been saying something. "Wait, what was that?"

Nero sighed irritably, all signs of his earlier nervousness gone. Yep, he was _definitely_ still in the mood swing stage.

"I don't say shit like this often, old man, so turn up your hearing aid and _listen_." The kid paused, taking a deep breath, "_Please_ let me stay with you, at least for a little while. I can help you out here; I'll take any jobs you don't want…for a ten percent cut."

"Dante, I'm sick of you declining work just because you're lazy. Let Nero stay and I might think about lowering your debt a little." Lady butted back into the conversation, but it just made Dante want to refuse- only for the sake of yanking her chain.

He rolled Nero's offer around in his mind, considering the benefits of having someone to deal with the ten-minute shit like a single Marionette in an abandoned house. Besides, Nero would probably be coming to the tail end of his second puberty…

And because ten percent of nothing was still nothing, Dante rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine. Just know that if you answer the phone, any jobs are _your_ problem. Same goes for the door. And don't eat all my food."

Nero broke out in a smile, finally taking a few steps into the office rather than hanging by the door. Lady, though, suddenly looked offended.

"Hey! How come _he_ doesn't get a lecture about the jukebox?"

Dante smirked. Lady _hated_ it when she thought she'd been treated unfairly. "Well, I can hear what he always has blasting through those headphones. He's got better music taste than you _and_ Trish."

Lady huffed, before looking at her watch and gasping. "Oh, shit! I've got a job to get to. Don't kill each other, you two."

In a flash she was gone, her footsteps echoing away from the building. Shaking his head, Dante turned to the younger man, looking him up and down appraisingly. "You can chuck any weapons you don't want to carry on my desk, and I think there's still a bed upstairs in the second room to the left."

"You _think_? How…actually, I don't wanna know. But seriously, Dante…thanks for this."

Nero ducked his head a little, and although the older man wasn't one hundred percent sure, he thought he saw a slight blush cross the kid's face.

"Don't sweat it, kid. You're gonna be working for your living, after all."

"From what I've heard, one of us has to." Nero laughed, walking past Dante towards the desk. Just as he passed the taller man, though, his step faltered. Dante could've sworn that he heard the kid sniffing something, and he turned to see Nero with his nostrils flaring slightly.

"What's wrong with you now?"

Nero jumped, as if he hadn't actually realised that he was doing anything. "Um…it's nothing really, just something stupid…"

"Spill it."

"…You _smell_ different."

There was silence, and then Dante laughed. "That's just the scent of sin, kid. Life here's not _quite_ like it was back in that hypocrite-hole."

Nero looked a little unsure, but he shrugged and kept walking to the desk. Setting the bag on the wood, he turned back to Dante. "I s'pose you'll be happy to know that although I couldn't save much from my apartment, I managed to grab Yamato."

Reaching into the bag, the younger hunter drew out a sheathed, katana-style sword. Almost instantly the weapon was no longer in his hands, Dante having spirited it away without a single sound.

"What the f-…"

"Gotta make sure you haven't trashed my dear bro's favourite sword."

Swinging himself over the back of the couch to land neatly on the cushions, Dante took the blade from its scabbard and held it up to the light, rubbing his fingers over a few small marks on the blade.

He didn't give another thought to Nero's odd comment about smell.

* * *

Later than evening, the white-haired pair were sprawled on Dante's couch, a pizza between them and the old television playing some terrible, clichéd action film. Nero was _trying_ to concentrate on the movie, but he couldn't throw the sense of unease that he felt.

He knew what Dante _should_ smell like; his demonic blood allowed him to have super-human senses, and he'd spent enough time tracking the man when they'd first met to have his scent down.

But like he'd said earlier, something just wasn't right.

The smell was a constant presence on Nero's mind, what with its source sitting just inches away. It was putting the younger man on edge, but the more he tried to ignore it, the more he could tell it was there.

And yet…it wasn't _unpleasant._ Dante's normal scent wasn't anything special, being kind of like your average devil, minus the stench of evil that hung around nearly every other demon. _This_, though…

Nero bit his lip when he thought about just how damned strong and _intoxicating_ the new smell was. Normally, people's natural scents were bearable or bad. They were rarely-if ever-…good.

The thought crossed Nero's mind that his new…_room mate? Landlord?_...was just wearing a different cologne, and that was why he seemed so different. He knew that wasn't true, though, because this was natural.

And it was going to drive him crazy if he sat here trying to think about it any longer. It probably meant nothing at all, other than the fact that he was going slightly nuts from…whatever was happening to him.

After all, Dante had been right about the mood swings, and although the voice in his head that told him to leave Kyrie had shut up for a few hours once he actually _did_ dump her, it had come back louder than ever not long before the New Order had come looking to kick his alleged-rapist ass.

It was too much at once, and it was exhausting him.

As if his body wanted to show that it agreed, he let out a loud yawn. From the corner of his eye he saw Dante languidly look away from the TV, head turning to glance at him.

"Getting past your bedtime?" For some reason, Dante's usual cocky smirk made Nero's blood boil. His Devil Bringer, currently minus the sling and glove, clenched into a tight fist, the talons biting into thick skin.

"I'm not a fucking _child!"_ He snapped, standing upright and accidentally knocking the pizza from the couch- Dante immediately catching the box on his foot. Storming from the room toward the stairs, the younger main heard snickering from behind him, but he didn't bother turning back.

"You sure act like one though, kid!"

"_Fuck you."_ Nero knew Dante was right…again. He wasn't sure why the usual teasing had pissed him off so much this time; the age-related ribbings didn't actually mean a single thing.

Goddamned freaking son of a whoring bitch mood swings.

Stepping into his new room and closing the door, Nero sighed. He pulled his gun from his leg holster and sat it on the filthy bedside table, dropping back onto the double bed.

He was exhausted from travelling so far, and then spending half the day blindly wandering around the city. Maybe if he got some decent rest, his body would just…magically fix itself.

_Yeah. Right._

* * *

Dante woke right up when he heard his door creak open, no traces of sleep clouding his mind. Yeah, he liked to sleep in late and it usually took him a while to get out of bed, but when _something_ was at his door before sunup, it generally wasn't a good sign.

Hand darting out to grab Ebony, Dante sat up in his bed and pointed the gun at the intruder. Any normal person would feel vulnerable in the position, dressed only in boxers and legs still wrapped in sheets; but Dante wasn't fussed.

When he saw the figure standing in the doorway, illuminated by the glow from the Devil Bringer, he lowered his weapon and sat it back on his cupboard. Running a hand through his dishevelled hair, Dante peered up at Nero.

"What the Hell are you doing? Bathroom's two doors down."

Letting the top half of his body fall back to the mattress, the hunter waited for his new partner's footsteps to go back down the hall. There was only silence, though, and Dante lazily sat up once more.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark and can't sleep alone."

…Alright, _that_ should have at least gotten some sort of reaction. Dante's eyes narrowed when Nero didn't say or do _anything_.

"Kid. What's up?"

Still no answer; whatever. He'd had enough. Lying down again and closing his eyes, Dante waved Nero off, completely uninterested in the younger man's bullshit. He just wanted to get back to sleep.

His lids flew open when an animalistic growl rumbled through the silent room, a heavy weight suddenly settling on his stomach as his hands were locked to the mattress.

_What the __**fuck**__? How did he move so fast, and what the Hell is he trying to do?_

Dante struggled against the hold that Nero had on him, but the soft mattress didn't do him any favours in trying to get his arms free. He should've been easily able to push the kid away, having fifty pounds over Nero.

But he couldn't.

Nero leant down, his t-shirt covered chest brushing lightly against Dante's as he pressed his face into the older man's neck.

Dante went perfectly still, wondering just what the fuck was happening. Not only had Nero managed to get the drop on him and basically immobilise his body, but the smaller man was…

Dante's breath caught as he realised that Nero was _smelling_ him.

How the _fuck_ had he forgotten? The very last part of the demonic awakening, as such: the bit where the devil became hyperaware of the pheromones being pumped out by every un-mated demon around.

Dante could never remember feeling the urge to get up close and personal with any of the demons he went out and fought all those years ago, though…

_Unless_…_his body wants a part-human, part-demon._

_And __**I'm**__ a half…_

"Nero, _stop_." Struggling hadn't worked; all Dante had left was the hope that the younger man's human side was still rational enough to listen to words. If he didn't beat some sense into the kid soon, Nero was going to end up doing something that he'd probably regret when his demonic hormones calmed the fuck down.

But all Dante's good intentions went out the window when Nero's face moved up to nuzzle in his hair, the puffs of air that Dante could feel against his ear sending a shiver down his spine.

The demonic presence that had previously been lying dormant in the back of his head instantly reared up, screaming for Dante to trigger, flip the younger man over and fuck him into the mattress.

The sudden image of Nero, naked and willing on his back, wasn't one that Dante had _ever _thought he would consider; but as soon as it sprang to mind, he could feel blood rushing towards his cock as a groan threatened to break out from his throat.

Dante felt Nero slide backwards a little, and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to hold out for much longer. The younger man's groin was in direct contact with Dante's own, his hips grinding a little and his mouth suddenly latching onto the older hunter's neck, sucking hard.

This time, Dante couldn't bite back the groan. Nero's teeth were nipping harshly at his throat, not that there would be any evidence soon with Dante's healing capabilities; the sharp little pains made a delicious counterpoint with the pleasurable friction his dick was currently receiving.

The noise seemed to encourage Nero, and his demonic arm released the other man's wrist, instead raking a light path down Dante's toned chest.

Dante couldn't take it anymore: with a sudden surge of strength, he used his free arm to wrap around Nero's waist, flipping both of them over until _he_ was the one resting on top.

Swooping down, Dante caught Nero's mouth in a rough kiss, his tongue forcing its way through the younger man's unresisting lips. A deep moan sounded from Nero's throat and his tongue began to slide against Dante's, in the slightly-uncertain fashion of someone who hadn't done _this_ all too often.

Dante pulled back at that realisation. He needed to make sure that the kid truly _wanted_ this…it wasn't that he was getting sentimental; he just didn't want Nero to hate him if he took the guy's virginity when he was under a pheromone-induced trance.

"Nero…hey, kid." Dante ran his fingers along Nero's jaw when he saw that the younger man's eyes were staying closed.

"Kid?" Nero wasn't opening his eyes, and Dante was starting to get a little worried. Lightly tapping the younger man on his cheek, Dante rolled to the side when he got no reaction. Kneeling beside Nero's supine body, he grabbed the kid's shoulder and shook it; no change.

When the younger man let out a slight snore, Dante froze before bursting out in laughter.

Nero was _sleepwalking…_or, well, sleepfucking. It seemed that the kid's demon side had taken it upon itself to start seeking out a mate, whether his human side was ready to or not.

The utter ridiculousness of the situation had caused Dante's blood to return to its usual place in his body, and he relaxed back on the bed.

He didn't particularly care about the arousal that had been worked up and taken away within the space of a few minutes; he was just relieved that he hadn't gone and done something _ridiculously _stupid.

He hadn't taken advantage of the kid who'd come to him after losing everything.

Looking over at the man sleeping soundly next to him, Dante yawned a little. If his shaking and laughing hadn't woken Nero up, then the kid was obviously out like a light. He himself was too tired to bother carrying Nero back to his own room…

Fuck it.

He had a king-size bed; they'd both fit fine. He'd deal with the inevitable awkwardness later. After all, none of this had actually been Nero acting…well, _sane_.

Dante's inner demon was growling at him to _punch_ the kid awake and continue with what Nero had started, but his human side was beginning to take over again and he was too tired to do anything, really.

Besides, it was _Nero_. He was just a kid.

A stupid, snotty, damned good-looking little brat.

_Shit._

* * *

Nero slowly awoke to the smell that had been tormenting him the previous day, an entrancing scent that he subconsciously moved towards. He gradually became aware of something warm lying next to him, his arm stretched out around the source of the heat.

Wait…_what?_

Nero pulled his arm away and sat straight up, his mind trying to tell his eyes that they were lying. Why the Hell was Dante in his bed?

No…no, this was a different room…why the fuck was he in _Dante's_ bed? With his arm wrapped around the older man's bare waist?

"Hey. _Hey!_ Wake the Hell up, you perve!" Slamming his human fist into Dante's bare shoulder, Nero began to freak out. He didn't remember a thing…what had he _done_?

"I'm the perve? You're the one who tried to jump me," came Dante's tired mumble.

"I _what?"_ Nero wasn't proud of the rising hysteria in his voice, even if it was justifiable. He'd woken up in another man's bed; if there was ever a time to panic, this was it. He saw Dante sit up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pushing his hair back.

"You _sleepwalk_, kid, and your demon side wanted to party last night."

Looking down at himself, Nero was relieved to see that his dark t-shirt and jeans were in their proper places. That was a good sign, right?

"How…how far did we…"

"We kissed. No big deal. Could've been worse, but you fell asleep right when it was gettin' good."

Nero didn't know how Dante was being so _calm_ about this. He'd made out with another _man_- in his _sleep!_ Feeling his breathing start to pick up, he tried to relax a little, but it only made things worse.

"Woah, kid, don't go losing your shit on me. It's nothing to worry about; demons are pretty much genderless anyway. Half the time the hot female-looking ones are actually closer to being dudes."

"But…it's you…and it's _me_…"

"Nero, if you have issues with the fact that demon blood tends to make you pansexual, you might wanna think about topping yourself now." Dante's voice was low and tired, as if he was completely bored with the conversation. "Besides, who _wouldn't_ want to do me?"

Nero nearly choked on his own spit as the older man ran a hand down his exposed torso, long fingers dancing over muscles that really _were_ just as utterly awe-inspiring as he'd thought that night when Dante had stayed in his apartment.

Okay, this was just getting weird. Not only had he woken up in the older man's bed, but he was _still_ there, and if he didn't know better he'd swear that Dante had just hit on him.

"Umm…Dante…"

"Can't you hear that?"

…And now it was weirder still. Nero had to wonder whether the older man was like this every morning, or if he'd just gotten really, _really_ high at some point last night. He was probably about to tell Nero to 'hear the colours, man'.

"All I hear is you, old man." It was really time for him to get out of here. Actually, it might have been best for him to get the Hell away from Devil May Cry for a while…Dante might have been okay with _this_, but whenever Nero thought about whatever it was he'd done his stomach twisted with humiliation.

"Shut up for a second, then. What's your demon side saying now?"

Nero raised an eyebrow. Dante was clearly going mad; some of these questions were just fucking ridiculous.

Simply to get the older man off his back, Nero shut his mouth and concentrated on the voice he'd been managing to ignore since he woke up. All at once, he began to wish that he really hadn't listened to the hunter.

Now that it wasn't being ignored, the small presence of demonic energy in his head perked up, its mental voice going from a gentle murmur to an urgent yell.

'_Touch him…__**suck him**__…__**FUCK HIM!**__'_

Feeling his cheeks burn, Nero scrambled to get out of the bed. "Oh, _God_…"

Tripping a little when the sheets got caught around his ankles, Nero spun around, running out of the room. He couldn't stay…that annoying demon voice had already fucked his life over, and now it was trying to make things worse. He couldn't sleep with _Dante_.

'_Why not?'_

_Because he's…he's…he's a __**he!**_

'_A fucking __**gorgeous**__ he.'_

_Who __**are**__ you?_

'_I'm you, of course.'_

Bursting into his room, Nero grabbed his hoodie, not bothering with his blue coat, and strapped a holster to his leg while snatching Blue Rose from the side table. He didn't know where he was going; he just knew that he couldn't stay at Devil May Cry. Between that voice and Dante's new scent…

He was going to do something stupid if he stayed.

Dashing past the room he'd woken up in, Nero quickly yelled to Dante through the open door. "I'mgoingoutdunnowhenI'llbebackbyeseeyalater."

He didn't know if Dante made any answer, or even just laughed at him.

He didn't care, either.

Running down the stairs and through the main office, Nero took a deep breath once he reached the polluted air of the outside world, letting the disgusting combination of rubbish and engine exhaust chase away the scent that had been torturing him for too long.

Slowing to a walk, he moved away from the building and further towards the centre of the city he'd only partially explored, vaguely taking in street names and landmarks so he'd know how to get back.

_If_ he went back.

* * *

Dante slammed open the front foot of Devil May Cry, his coat leaving a bloody mark on the floorboards where he carelessly threw it.

He'd taken the small, low-paying job in the hope that some violence would make his inner demon shut the fuck up. Now, he was tired, filthy, and still horny. When Nero finally dragged his ass back to the office, Dante was going to have to kick his ass for pulling that shit the night before and waking his demon up.

The little bastard just wouldn't close its mouth.

Dragging himself to the shower, the hunter quickly washed off sweat and demon guts, the water running down the drain turning a filthy brown colour. Finally clean, he dried off and slipped back into his still-wearable leather pants, his shirt ignored as it was beyond all repair.

Lazily wandering back down to his couch, hair still dripping onto his shoulders and chest, Dante collapsed onto the cushions and tried to ignore the way his body was beginning to ache for attention. He was going to have to go out and get laid later…but right now he was _tired_.

The hunter stretched out along the length of the couch, his eyes closing as he began to fall asleep.

Just as he finally relaxed, though, a tentative knock sounded at the door.

"…We're closed!" Dante yelled with a yawn. Fucking stupid customers, not able to handle even a single pathetic low-level piece of shit on their own…

When the door opened, he actually lifted his head off the couch. "What'd I _just_ say? Not. Open."

"Do you want me to leave? I can find somewhere else to stay."

…That was Nero's voice. _Well, looks like the kid comes back with his tail between his legs, hey?_

"Why bother? Get the Hell inside, punk." Maybe Dante would have to leave off with the ass kicking until he actually managed to get some sleep in. Hell, maybe Nero would come closer to beating him if he was this tired.

Dante smirked; as if Nero would ever be able to win a fight between the two of them. The kid just didn't have enough sheer power.

"Dante…I…" The older man jolted a little when he realised how close Nero had gotten without his knowledge. The kid was standing about five feet from the couch, his cheeks _still_ flaming red.

"S'up?"

"I can't get it to be quiet…it's driving me crazy."

Ah. Nero was going through the same thing as Dante was…but he didn't have the experience to ignore it even just a little.

"Well then, what're you gonna do about it?" Smirking up at the younger man, Dante knew he was making Nero uncomfortable, but Hell- maybe he wouldn't have to go out to get laid after all.

"…How can I make it _stop_?"

Dante had to work to wipe the smile from his face. He was going to scare the kid off, and then he _would_ have to go out and find someone else to screw. Hell, he'd never slept with another half-demon; maybe it would shut his own demonic side up for a bit longer than a regular human.

Sure, he'd tried telling himself that he wouldn't go for Nero, but…he was a little worried that he was going to end up copying the kid's actions from the previous night if he ignored his inner demon for too long. And his demon was telling him to fuck Nero until he couldn't walk.

"I know _one_ thing that might work."

Nero's eyes lit up, his excitement almost palpable at the thought of being able to sate his demon. "What? How can I get some goddamned peace?"

Taking a deep breath, Dante slowly stood and faced Nero. His inner devil rose as well, growling a little in anticipation at what the human in him was planning. "We finish what you started last night."

The look on Nero's face was how Dante imagined the kid might look if he was told to cut off his own dick. The combination of fear, disgust and sheer horror was…well, a little offensive, actually. Dante pouted playfully.

"Don't tell me that I'm _that_ repulsive, kid."

Nero blushed, holding his hands up in front of him. "It's nothing like that, it's just…"

He trailed off, looking a little confused. Dante took the opportunity to step a little closer, carefully watching Nero for any sign that he was about to bolt.

"It's just what?"

"I…I don't know…"

Dante reached out and gently took the younger man's chin in one hand. "So, what's the problem, then?"

"…Won't this make things…awkward between us?" Nero looked genuinely worried that this would screw up the bizarre friendship they had, and Dante couldn't help but think that it was actually kind of cute.

And then his demon kicked in again.

"Nope. But it'll probably give you and me both a little peace."

From the look on Nero's face, it was obvious that he hadn't realised that Dante knew _exactly_ what he was going through. The older man sniggered a little; Nero was just so clueless. He had no frigging idea.

"You…"

"My demon wants you. _I_ want you." It hadn't really occurred to him until he said it, but…Dante's human side had, at some point, decided that it agreed with the demonic presence in his mind.

His hand still resting under the younger man's chin, Dante gradually leant in, giving Nero enough time to break it up. It was obvious that the kid wasn't going to come to his own decision, and so Dante had to act.

Otherwise, he might just throw Nero down and screw him senseless…and_ that_ certainly wouldn't end well for either of them.

"Dante…"

The older hunter paused, waiting for Nero to pull his face away and walk out again. The sheer uncertainty in his voice was a complete giveaway.

"…Kiss me." The words were barely whispered, and it took Dante a few seconds to realise exactly what he'd said. When it did, though, he smirked and leant right in, slipping his hand around to the back of Nero's head as his lips connected with the younger man's.

He didn't push too far, holding a tight rein on his demon to stop it from taking over and doing something stupid; he pulled back without entering Nero's mouth, running his hand through white hair before bringing his arm back to himself.

There was a moment of silence, before a deep roar ripped its way from Nero's throat and he tackled Dante back, the pair landing on the couch with the younger man straddling Dante's waist. In his shock, the older man laughed.

"Hey! Now _that's_ the way we do things around here!"

"Shut up." The voice that came from Nero's throat was deeper and rougher than normal, and Dante could see a reddish tinge in his eyes.

His demonic side was taking over; but Hell, at least he was awake this time.

The older man's brain stopped thinking when Nero suddenly kissed him again, wasting no time before sliding his tongue into Dante's mouth. The urge to dominate was clearly growing in Nero, and the other man was feeling the same; their tongues began sliding and tangling together, each man trying to take full control of the other.

Dante surrendered when Nero's clawed hand slid down his bare chest, the long talons leaving small tracks of blood that closed up almost instantly. It might have been Nero's first time, but Dante knew that it wasn't going to be gentle.

Truly rough sex wasn't something that Dante got to do all that often; most humans just couldn't take what the half-demon could give. But the way Nero was currently acting…there wasn't going to be anything slow about this.

The older man groaned when the Devil Bringer slid right down to his crotch, the claws resting on his waistband while the palm began rubbing over the growing bulge in his leathers.

"_Shit_, kid!" Dante threw his arm around Nero's neck and pulled him down for a fierce kiss, the older man biting the other's bottom lip harshly. Nero seemed to be enjoying the rough treatment as well: he growled deeply when Dante ran his tongue over the small cut he'd made on the younger man's lip.

He felt the possessed hand flex and his still-growing erection was instantly freed from its tight confines, not bound by any underwear- it just didn't look good with skin-tight leather.

Raking his short nails down Nero's back, Dante hissed and ground his hips upwards, trying to encourage the younger man to take him in hand. When his fingers reached the bottom of the other man's red hoodie he pulled it upwards, taking the t-shirt with it and making Nero momentarily move away from his groin to remove the clothing completely.

He didn't expect the younger man to stand up, though, and he couldn't help the little groan of disappointment when the weight left his body. As he watched Nero stand, torso muscles rippling in the late-afternoon light, Dante's hand crept down his own body and his fingers curled around the middle of his now completely hard cock.

Letting out a shuddering breath, the older hunter writhed as Nero pushed down his jeans and boxers, revealing his leaking erection that was almost as big as Dante's own. The kid was clearly desperate; and it was _hot_.

"C'mere, punk." Dante swiped a finger over the head of his dick, collecting a drop of pre-come and bringing his hand to his mouth. Humming a little, he sucked the finger between his lips and smiled around the digit when Nero was suddenly on his thighs.

The younger man pulled the hand from Dante's mouth, bringing it to his own and running his tongue up the wet finger, nipping at the end of it with his teeth. The Devil Bringer scratched over Dante's left nipple, and he let out a breathy, "Y-e-e-ssss."

Oh, God, he needed to feel Nero touch him properly. He was going to trigger if this didn't go somewhere soon; and he no longer even gave a fuck whether he was on top or not.

Looking down his body, the older man gave a little moan when Nero moved up a little, positioning himself so that he could take both his and Dante's erections in his demonic hand.

The feel of the hot, rough palm around him, combined with the way he could feel Nero's cock sliding against his own, had Dante arching his back from the couch, his inner demon _purring_ with need and lust.

It had never sounded so…happy.

The demonic hand, with the danger of those vicious claws, the friction of the scaled skin, and the way it was much warmer than human flesh was so utterly kinky that Dante wondered vaguely how he'd ever jack off with his normal hands again. Maybe he should work on triggering just his arms…

Coherent thought flying away again, Dante watched as Nero threw his head back, white hair dancing over his bare shoulders as his hips thrust forward, the Devil Bringer tightening pleasurably and a ridiculously erotic groan rumbling from the younger man's throat.

Moving both hands to grip Nero's waist, Dante lowered himself back into the cushions, encouraging the other man to keep moving his hips to maintain the sliding friction against his own dick.

"Nero…ride me, or fuck me…I don't care which…just _decide, _quick!" It was only the tone of Date's voice that kept him above begging, not that he was fussed with what he sounded like; he just wanted _more_.

"I want you in me. _Now_," the demonic Nero snarled, his Devil Bringer moving faster over their weeping dicks. Writhing helplessly, Dante blindly groped between the cushions and frame of the couch. He knew he had lube in there _somewhere_; Nero might have higher pain tolerance levels and better healing than a human, but he was still a virgin. It was going to be painful for both of them if they did it dry or just with saliva.

His hand curling around a cool tube, Dante quickly pulled his arm from the couch and sat the lubricant beside him, hands returning to Nero's hips to lift the younger man up. Dante rushed as much as he possibly could, moving his hands to quickly squirt a little gel onto two fingers.

"Stay on your knees," Dante bit out, sliding his clean fingers down the younger hunter's back and cupping his ass. Nero let out a strange whining sound, his demon obviously trying to tell Dante to hurry up; and so the bigger man acquiesced.

Slipping his fingers inwards, Dante rubbed his lubed digits across and around Nero's virgin hole, making sure the area was slick enough before pulling away. One of his hands fisted around the younger man's dick, sliding up and down roughly as his other hand groped for the lube again, finding it and squeezing some directly over his twitching, needy erection.

Dante's hips jolted a little at the cool sensation, but it soon warmed up as he wrapped his free hand around his own cock, spreading the lube with a moan of pleasure.

_Good enough…_

"Are you ready, kid?" Dante could barely hold onto his demon now, the urge to fuck building up to ridiculous levels; but he couldn't screw Nero's first time up by making it borderline rape. The younger hunter had to be prepared for it.

…His worries were unfounded as Nero growled manically, the animalistic sound accompanied by a sudden movement which placed the large head of Dante's cock at the very entrance of the younger man's lubed hole.

"_Shut up and fuck me_," Nero snapped in his new, deep voice; Dante barely had time to move his hand from his cock before the other man was pressing down, not showing any pain as he accepted the intrusion into his body.

When the younger man was firmly seated on his groin, Dante lost most of the control he had over his demon. He stayed in human form, just as Nero did; but he could tell that his eyes had taken on the same red tinge, and his voice would be deeper too.

Dante's hand moved away from Nero's cock, where it was immediately replaced by the Devil Bringer. Both of the older man's hands grabbed hold of Nero's waist, pressing more than hard enough to severely bruise a human; but the part-demon didn't show a single mark.

Using his grip to pull the younger man up, Dante paused before slamming him down again, the hunter's hips snapping up simultaneously to meet Nero's body. The kid caught the rhythm immediately, his human hand resting in the middle of Dante's chest to give himself more leverage to thrust down.

The devil inside of Dante growled, and he was fairly certain that the sound came out of his mouth, too. He saw Nero's Devil Bringer speed up until the light it gave off began to blur, the younger man bucking on Dante's cock and throwing his head back again.

"_Harder!_"

Dante was more than happy to agree, his arm muscles working madly as he pulled Nero's tight ass up and down, his hips snapping brutally into the other man. No human would have been able to take this treatment without getting hurt; but Nero was just getting _off_.

"Fuck yes," Dante snarled, sweat running down his chest as he worked their bodies together. Oh, shit, it felt like he was going to pass out from the sheer bliss of having someone that tight clamped around him, riding him wildly and groaning in pleasure.

Nero's hips jolted forward into his fist again, and Dante could feel the kid shudder; almost instantly the body on top of him got hotter and heavier as the younger man triggered, a blue light enveloping everything in the hunter's vision.

Immediately feeling threatened, Dante's own demon decided to show itself, and the older man felt his humanity being relegated to the back of his mind as his body grew; and as his strength increased, so too did the pace of his and Nero's frenzied screwing.

Animalistic noise that steadily grew in volume were bursting out in an almost-constant pattern from the two men, accompanied by the groaning and creaking of the old couch beneath them.

Dante was running on pure instinct now, his rational mind unable to influence or stop the actions of his demon form; Nero seemed to be the same, his body rolling and writhing as it was slammed up and down by the red devil.

As he felt his climax rapidly approaching, one of Dante's clawed hands released its tight hold on Nero's waist, instead moving up to tangle in his hair and roughly pull his face down. Just before their mouths met, though, the older man slid his tongue against one of his sharpened teeth, the deep cut causing blood to spill out in his mouth.

The vicious kiss that the two met in tasted solely like blood, but Dante's now-heightened senses could taste that there were two separate blood types in his mouth; Nero must have cut his tongue, too. The sensation of the other's blood leaking into his mouth was electric, and Dante gave a muffled growl as his entire body trembled.

Dante's human side only now realised what was happening, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it. And even if he could have done something…he wasn't sure he would have.

The tang of blood, delicious to his triggered form, sent him over the edge; pulling away from Nero's mouth, both of Dante's hands tightened as he felt his cock harden and spurt within the younger man, flooding his insides with warmth.

At the same time, he felt liquid splashing out over his stomach and chest, Nero's body arching above him as the blue demon came _hard._

Riding out their orgasms together, their movements gradually slowed as each man began to feel their exhaustion, Nero falling fast to rest on top of Dante's chest. The impact of his triggered form hitting the older man's proved too much for the abused couch- with a loud creak it gave out, wood splintering and material ripping as the frame collapsed in on itself.

Hitting the floor, Dante wrapped his arms around Nero's back, a sudden ridiculous urge to keep the younger man from getting hurt rearing up inside him. Unable to fall any further, Nero slumped into the hold with his breath coming hard and fast.

A few seconds later both men de-triggered, their human forms drenched with sweat and their skin flushed. It took a lot longer for them to catch their breath, with Dante's chest heaving and Nero panting loudly.

Finally regaining his senses and the ability to move, Nero pulled himself from Dante's spent cock, still staying on top of the man to avoid having to pull couch debris from his body. He swallowed hard, eyes widening as he tasted blood; a _lot_ of blood.

"Dante…did I bite you? All I can…taste is blood…" He was still panting a little, the lack of breath breaking up his sentence as he gasped for air. He didn't know how the older man managed to keep enough oxygen to laugh; but somehow, Dante managed it.

"No…_worse_, actually…"

"_What? _What happened?"

Lazily sitting up, Dante pulled Nero onto his lap, making sure to brush out a patch on the ground where the younger man could put his knees. _This_ was probably going to be an uncomfortable conversation, subject-wise; so they might as well be as physically comfortable as possible.

"Well, y'see kid...I'm gonna put this in terms you'll understand. When humans get married, they have those stupidly expensive rings to exchange. When _demons _find their mate…they swap blood."

Nero's entire body tensed, his jaw dropping as a look of horror took over his face. "You mean…we just…me and _you…"_

"Hey, if you keep saying it like _that_, you're gonna hurt my feelings." Dante barely held back a new round of laughter as Nero realised what had just happened; the younger man seemed to be freaking out over what he'd just done.

"But…I…Oh, _God-fucking-dammit!"_

Nero seemed to be more in a state of shock than anything else, which was only made worse by the post-orgasmic exhaustion that was setting in after such physical sex.

Not to mention the effects of the new, _permanent_ bond that he'd just formed with Dante.

Rolling his eyes, Dante tightened his grip around Nero's naked waist. "Kid, it's not that bad. 'Sides, from what I hear, mated demons have sex that good _every_ time."

"But it's not just about fucking, is it." Nero dropped his forehead onto Dante's shoulder, hiding his burning red face; he'd basically just gotten _married_. The exact same thing he'd gone to Dante to get _away_ from.

"Nope. Although our human sides might not care so much, our demons'll basically bitch and whine if we get separated for too long, and we'll always be able to find each other. Oh, but they _are_ gonna want to bang pretty often, as well."

Dante wasn't entirely fussed by the situation; he felt too damn good to worry about the fact that he'd just given himself away to a punk kid. And really, even though he hadn't _quite_ been expecting to find out that Nero was his mate, in hindsight it was actually pretty obvious. After all, he'd said it himself: there may have only been three hybrids in the world, and one of them was God knows where. He kind of felt a little stupid for not considering this outcome in the first place.

Feeling Nero shake against his shoulder, Dante gently pried the younger man off him, looking into his face. The poor kid looked terrified.

"Hey, hey, relax. It's really not that bad…well, it's not bad at all. Kid, do you know what this _means_? No more searching. Hell, you didn't go through a fucking _decade_ of listening to your demon side complain about not being happy. You should feel lucky that you only had a month of it."

Nero froze, taking a deep breath. Somehow, Dante could tell that he was listening to his inner devil; and if it was anything like his own, then it was doing little more than purring contentedly.

"It sounds…_happy!"_ Nero seemed positively amazed, and Dante pressed his lips to the younger man's forehead. He felt like he was seeing the other man in a new light: this was a completely different guy to the one that had dropkicked him in the face when they first met.

Everything, right down to the kid's voice, was infinitely more attractive thanks to the recent mating.

"Damn straight it does. And so it should be, after _that_." Casting a look around at the nest of broken couch, Dante stood and pulled Nero up with him, picking his way through the wreckage to find the younger man's clothes.

"C'mon. I'm absolutely fucked after that…_heh_. Let's go to bed."

"Isn't it, like, five in the afternoon?"

Pausing with his leather pants undone around his hips, Dante waved Nero off. "Gotta have a pre-dinner nap, don't we? Besides, look at you: you can barely stand. And your shirt's on backwards, idiot."

The look of pure confusion on Nero's face was gold. Looking down at himself, the younger hunter tried to figure out what was wrong; but when he couldn't quite decide, he shrugged. "Didn't think you'd _want_ me to sleep clothed."

"Suit yourself, then. C'mon." Gesturing to the younger man, Dante waited for him to take a few steps closer before he bolted around, swinging Nero up into his arms bridal-style.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing? Put me _down_, asshole!"

Dante held on tight, Nero's kicking and punching nowhere near strong enough to do any damage.

"You're my new bride, babe; isn't this how it's done?" Nero's struggles paused for a few seconds, only to come back twice as strong. Dante just laughed, climbing the stairs with ease.

"How come _I'm_ the woman? This isn't fair, dammit!"

"You were the one gettin' fucked. That's how it goes."

"I fucking hate you." Nero sounded like a petulant child; it made the older man snicker, kicking open the door to his bedroom and dumping his armful of part-demon on the bed.

"Your human side might, but your demon side loves me. There's no escaping that now!" It was the truth. Dante could feel the love emanating from his own satisfied devil; and it was so strong that it was beginning to affect his human side.

"Stupid prick," Nero muttered.

"Who? Me or that kinky little demon of yours?" Stretching out alongside Nero on the mattress, Dante rested his hands underneath his head, turning only his face towards his mate.

"Both of you." Rolling on his side, facing away from Dante, the younger man huffed. With a wide smirk, Dante reached his arm out to hook Nero around the waist, pulling him across the bed so that he could curl up around him.

"Get some sleep, kid."

"For crying out loud; you're _still_ calling me a kid? Even though we're…"

"We're what?"

"We're _soulmates,"_ Nero wailed, his voice distressed.

"Oi, you got the better end of the deal. I got a whiny little bitch for a mate; you got the sexiest demon this side of…_everywhere!"_

"Vain pig. Go fuck yourself." Nero punctuated his words with a sharp slap to the arm Dante had around him. In retaliation, the older man just held him tighter.

"Would if I could, babe. Now shut up and let me sleep."

"You lazy son of a…oh, whatever. Just don't molest me when _I'm_ trying to rest."

"I make no promises."

"Typical." Nero finally relaxed into the hold Dante had around him, his demonic hand lightly resting over the older man's arm as his eyes closed involuntarily.

Smiling, Dante settled his face against Nero's hair and closed his eyes, physical exhaustion plaguing him.

For the first time in ten or so years, he wasn't constantly suppressing his inner demon. There was no need to, anymore: it had curled up and gone to sleep already, leaving almost no presence in Dante's human mind.

He felt…_relaxed_. And although his human side didn't love Nero just yet…he could tell that it wouldn't be long until _all_ of him did.

Things were going to get _very_ interesting from here on out.


	3. Epilogue

*******I know, I know: I said there would be two chapters. But this isn't a chapter: it's an epilogue. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Okay, I lied. You know what they say, though: you can always trust a dishonest (wo)man to be dishonest. Besides, my original ending was shit. It really was. I just wanted to get the thing done so I could go back to WTTN. I thought I was finished here; but obviously not.*******

* * *

"Afternoon, boys!"

Lady flung open the front doors of Devil May Cry, the Kalina-Ann sitting across her back and Trish standing by her side.

"Hi, Lady; Trish."

"Whatever the job is, I don't want it."

Her mismatched eyes immediately zeroed in on the two men sitting on Dante's desk, Nero with his legs crossed and the older hunter with one leg bent under him, the other hanging off the front of the table.

…_This_ was a new one.

Glancing around the room, Lady's eyes widened when she saw the annihilated state of the couch- the one that had been fine twenty-four hours earlier. Shaking her head with a small sigh, she wandered over to where the pair were sitting and devouring yet another pizza.

"And what the Hell happened to your couch? Maybe you'd _better_ take this job, Dante; otherwise you'll never be able to buy a new one."

"Demons," the pair answered simultaneously, Dante snickering when he realised what they'd just done. The _look_ he shot Nero made Lady wonder if that was the truth or not; it was almost as if the two men were sharing some obscure inside joke.

"Can you _believe_ these two, Trish?...Trish?" Lady turned back to the door when she realised that her blonde friend wasn't answering. Instead, the other woman seemed to be focusing hard on…something.

With a smirk on her face, the blonde walked towards the three at the desk, her lips twitching like she was trying not to burst out laughing. Trish came to a stop in front of Nero, leaning in slightly as her smirk mutated into a grin.

"Nice catch, kiddo." Her gaze very obviously shifted from Nero to Dante and back again, coming to rest with a playful wink. "Maybe we should leave 'em to it, Lady."

The human woman's face crinkled in confusion as she wondered what the hell Trish was on about, and Nero seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. But, soon enough, the young hunter flushed almost as red as the jeans that Dante was wearing.

"But…I…How the…Oh, _god _no…" Nero hunched forward, hiding his burning face in his hands as Dante and Trish burst out laughing. Lady still just stared at him, wondering what the Hell was wrong with everyone else in the general vicinity.

She was startled when Trish suddenly grabbed her arm, giving it a tug as the blonde walked back to the front doors of the office. Lady dug her heels in, refusing to go anywhere before she got some answers.

"What the Hell's going on? If you don't all want to get shot, _someone_ better tell me just what the fuck is happening!"

"Well, y'see…when two d-…" Dante's facetious explanation was cut off when Nero's Devil Bringer clamped over his mouth, the boy's face still hidden away in his human hand.

"Say another _word_ and I'll cut out your vocal cords…as well as a few other bits and pieces," the younger hunter hissed in a slightly muffled voice.

Tugging hard on the demonic limb, Dante managed to get it _just_ far enough away from his face to be able to gasp, "Alright, kid. I won't tell them that we-…"

Once again, Nero used his Bringer to forcibly prevent his new mate from giving Lady the information she wanted, a snarl escaping from his lips. He still hadn't managed to lift his fiercely-blushing face, though, which made Dante laugh hysterically against the hand digging rather painfully into his skin.

When it got to the point where Dante was doing less laughing and more wheezing desperately for oxygen, Nero finally pulled away and straightened up, clearing his throat whilst trying to regain his composure.

Lady seemed to have finally given up on trying to get a proper answer, throwing her hands in the air and walking over to where Trish was waiting by the front door, muttering under her breath all the while about 'insane demons' and 'fucking idiots'.

"Don't worry Dante, we'll take this job; it's a one-time-only deal though, mind you. Have fun!" Trish stepped behind Lady, taking the human by the biceps and steering her out into the wider world.

Lady started to protest, but Trish's demonic strength was just too much for her, and the doors of Devil May Cry slammed shut behind the two women.

Nero immediately jumped off the desk, whirling around on Dante and jabbing the older man in the chest with a human finger. "What the _fuck_, asshole?"

Dante raised both palms in mock surrender, clearly trying desperately to keep a straight face- and failing miserably. "Hey, c'mon now, kid; did you _really_ think that I was gonna tell her? I wouldn't do that to my darling little mate, now would I?"

The force of the punch that connected squarely with the older man's nose sent him sprawling back over the desk, Nero having to step out of the way to avoid Dante's legs flailing wildly as he tipped over.

"Let me think about that for a minute…uh, _yes?_ And don't patronise me, you goddamned bastard."

Groaning a little, Dante sat up and pinched his nose, trying to stem the blood flow while he shoved the broken bone back into place with an audible crack. As soon as he did, the blood dried up and stopped coming, the injury leaving no trace bar a few red flakes around Dante's nose and upper lip.

"Shit, I know I heal well and all, but that don't mean I'm willing to be your punching bag. Besides, Trish knows and since they left over a minute ago, I'd say that Lady got her explanation already."

"And how, pray tell, did _Trish_ manage to find out?" Nero was only furious because he was embarrassed, the humiliation of being found out compounding with his uncertainty about the whole situation. He didn't know what else to do, and so he was lashing out at the only nearby target: Dante.

"Kid, there's not a demon around who _won't_ be able to tell. You can't notice it, but we have the same exact scent these days."

"We _what?"_ Nero yelled, slamming his fist on the desk and making the half-empty pizza box jump. He was beginning to realise just what he'd accidentally gotten himself into: not only was his inner devil forever going to want Dante's, but every single other member of the demon population was also going to know about it.

Not to mention the fact that Dante had informed him that the new bond was _permanent_.

"You make it sound like a _bad_ thing. I give you a week 'til you love me completely." Picking up a slice of cooling pizza, Dante took a massive bite and summarily attempted to end the argument.

Nero wasn't quite done yet, though.

"Somehow, I doubt that'll _ever_ happen. You're too much of a prick."

Dante feigned being upset, wiping away a pretend tear with the hand that wasn't holding food. "You _wound_ me, wifey. But you'll fall for me eventually- they all do."

Nero's demonic hand clenched, but to Dante's surprise, the younger man didn't physically lash out again. "Don't. Call. Me. _That_. I'll k-…wait, 'they'? Who the fuck are 'they'?"

"Ah ha! See, right there: you're _jealous_. You like me. You totally do!" Laughing madly, Dante reached out and playfully tweaked his mate's nose, ignoring the way the man was almost twitching in anger.

This time, the older hunter easily ducked the fist that swung in his direction, still nearly pissing himself with laughter. Nero fumed, but didn't go for another punch.

"Y'know what? I'm goin' out. I _might_ be back." Flipping Dante off, Nero turned and stomped towards the front door, only pausing to make sure that Blue Rose was still attached to his thigh.

"See ya soon, kid," Dante mumbled through a mouthful of pizza. He might have given Nero a week to fall in love with him, but he only gave two hours, _tops_, until his younger mate would come crawling back.

* * *

A little over an hour later, the well-abused doors of the office swung open once more, revealing a grumpy-looking Nero.

Dante had moved behind his desk, sitting in the chair as he inspected his extensive weapon collection. Polishing the grips of Agni and Rudra, he growled at them to 'shut the Hell up' up as they began muttering to each other. When he heard the doors, he sat the twin weapons aside and leant back in his chair, hands linking behind his head.

"What the _fuck_ did you do to me?" The younger man still sounded pissed off, even more so than before.

"Hmmm? What d'ya mean, wif-…kid?" Dante knew _exactly_ what Nero was on about- he'd been polishing his weapons to give his mind something else to focus on, after all.

He just wanted to hear Nero say it.

With a disgusted sigh, Nero walked over and planted both palms on the desk. "From the moment you were out of my sight, all I could think about was gettin' back here. I don't _need_ you; so what is this?"

Standing up, Dante walked around the desk and put his hands on Nero's waist, easily turning the part-demon and sitting him up on the wood. The younger man opened his mouth to argue with the treatment, but Dante raised a hand to stop him.

"It's gonna be like that for a while. Guess you'll just have to get used t' wanting some of this." Dante winked, pouting and preening like a fashion model while Nero growled under his breath.

"You're a fucking idiot."

"And you love it."

Smirking, Dante leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Nero's frowning lips. Ruffling his mate's hair, the older hunter stepped back to avoid the half-hearted kick that was directed at his groin.

"Like Hell I do. Seriously, can't you make it _stop?_" The anger began to disappear from Nero's voice, his tone taking on a bit of a whine. It made Dante want to ruffle his hair again, like a child.

"Nope. But you've missed the most important bit, babe." Dante lightly rested his hands on Nero's upper thighs, snickering at the scowl the younger man made at the affectionate nickname.

"_What_?"

"It goes both ways."

Leaning in again, Dante placed a line of kisses along Nero's jaw, feeling the man shiver against him. Doing this was all he'd been able to concentrate on since Nero had walked out the door; that was why his Devil Arms were all impeccably cleaned, the task a distraction that had been gladly welcomed.

His demon, which had been grumbling miserably, began to purr like a contented feline. It was a natural progression to start running his hands along the insides of Nero's thighs, trying to make the man submit to him.

His hands continued to move, even as the younger man pulled his face away from Dante's. "Ha! You _missed_ me!"

Dante shrugged- it was true, after all. This whole 'mate' thing was _hard_. "You broke and came back first, though. That must mean I win."

Nero scoffed. "Yeah, but _you're_ the one tryin' to jump me, so _I_ win."

He batted pointlessly at Dante's hands, which were getting dangerously close to his partially-awake groin.

"And you ain't trying to stop me. I was right- you _do_ like me." To prove his point, Dante cupped Nero's groin, squeezing lightly and thoroughly enjoying the little moan that fell from the younger man's lips.

"Fuck you," Nero hissed, wrapping his legs around the older hunter's waist.

"Other way 'round, wifey. It's fuck _you_. But not on my desk- I kinda need this thing."

Slipping his hands under Nero's thighs, Dante easily picked the younger man up and was instantly backhanded across the face for his efforts.

"I can walk, bastard!" As soon as he was set down, Nero moved straight for the stairs, either ignoring or unaware of the way that Dante was staring intently at his ass.

The younger man realised that he wasn't being followed, and turned back to where Dante was standing on the ground floor. "Well? Are you gonna get the Hell up here?"

Laughing, Dante walked up to meet Nero. The kid was good to look at, _and_ he was good entertainment…not to mention a _great_ fuck.

Dante might have been betting that Nero would fall in love with him before the week was out; but as he'd said…

It worked both ways.

-THE END-


End file.
